


Lost On The Road Of Life

by o0Alien0o



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Flirting, Fluffy, Humor, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Road Trips, Semi-Public Sex, Sex in a Car, Skinny Dipping, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-05-21 15:15:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14917766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/o0Alien0o/pseuds/o0Alien0o
Summary: The summer before Sakura’s second year in college was supposed to be spent with her fiancé, planning their wedding and future. But, after being dumped unexpectedly, she’s left miserable and brokenhearted. That is, until her best friend suggests they pack up and hit the road for a two month trip to make memories, have unforgettable experiences and live free to which Sakura reluctantly agrees to. And with Ino, their friends and an older guy that Sakura can’t help but be attracted to, this might just be the best summer of her life. **Formerly Ramble On**





	1. Escape

* * *

 

AN- I know. The last thing I need to be doing is posting something new when I have SO many unfinished works I need to be working on. But, this idea has been in my head since KakaSaku Month 2018 prompts were announced. I could have did a one shot but why do one chapter when I can do many, many chapters of modern KakaSaku goodness? Anyway, I'm mostly writing this for me, so it won't be updated that regularly (but, who am I kidding? Nothing of mine is updated regularly anymore) Well, I hope you enjoy this as much as I've enjoyed writing it. And be sure to check the tags ;)

* * *

 

Chapter One

_Measuring a summer's day, I only finds it slips away to grey,  
The hours, they bring me pain._

_._

_._

 

* * *

 

The shrill ring of the alarm clock echoed through the darkened apartment, piercing through Sakura’s skull. Whose bright idea had it been to take shots of tequila the night before they were set to leave so damn early? She reached out from the blankets on her bed, fumbling her way across the bedside table until she found the irritating device. With a swift smack, the ringing stopped, the silence that followed was absolutely beautiful. And far too short lived.

 

Sakura’s bedroom door was thrown open, letting in the stream of light from the hallway, nearly blinding her in the process. Before her vision was completely burned away, she had caught sight of a familiar figure standing in the doorway. Her best friend pounced onto her bed excitedly, the springs beneath them shrieking loudly from the impact. “Wake up, sleepyhead!” Ino shouted, tugging the blankets away from Sakura’s head despite her desperately trying to hold onto them.

 

“It’s too early for this, Pig!” Her shouts were muffled behind the pillow she pulled in front of her face to block the light once her covers had been taken. It soon joined her blankets on the floor and Ino crawled on top of her, pinning her to the bed. Sakura groaned and tried to throw her off but she was freakishly strong. “Get off me, you weirdo!”

 

“Not until I know you’re awake and ready to start our amazing journey.” Ino beamed happily, the light from the hallway making a glowing halo around her head. How could someone look so angelic and yet be the spawn of Satan at the same time?

 

“How am I supposed to do that with your fat ass on top of me?” She snapped, her hangover fueling the anger she was feeling. But, it wasn’t fair. Ino had taken twice as many shots as she had the previous night and was clearly not feeling the affects at all. The girl wasn’t human. She was some alcohol driven creature, hellbent on disrupting Sakura’s life from the moment she first entered it. Now, after a decade, Ino was still bullying her into her stupid plans, like this massive, two month road trip they were supposed to be starting today.

 

Ino hopped off the bed and flipped the overhead light on, the brightness immediately making Sakura’s head pound. She threw an arm up to shield her eyes but it was no use. It had done its job and there was no way she could go back to sleep now that she was blind and half crushed from having the devil’s spawn sitting on her. Groaning, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. The room shifted slightly and she grabbed onto the bedside table to keep herself from tipping over. “Why did I listen to you last night? It’s never just _one shot_ of tequila with you.”

 

Ino’s laughter flitted down the hall as she slipped into her own bedroom. “You have free will, Forehead. No one forced you to drink that much.” From their shared wall, the sound of the blonde rummaging through her drawers reached Sakura’s ears. She didn’t move yet, though. Her stomach was still struggling not to dispose of all the alcohol and pizza they had eaten only 4 hours ago. God, 4 AM was an evil hour. Why had she ever agreed to go on this stupid trip?

 

Sakura scoffed and scowled at the silver picture frame that sat on her bedside table. It was nearly hanging off the corner from her flailing earlier to smack her alarm clock. She righted it and let her finger slip down the glass in front of the photo. Seeing her own happy face smiling up at her with Sasuke’s arms holding her tightly made her heart ache. It had been over a month since he had broke off their engagement, not giving her an explanation past ‘ _it’s complicated’_. Forty three days since she watched him pack his things from her apartment and walk out of her life. Thirty nine days since she had spoken to him and not even a whole minute had passed that he hadn’t been in her mind in some way or another.

 

Sure, she put on a happy front for her friends and family, not letting them see how miserable she truly was. But, some days were harder than others. Some days she didn’t even want to get out of bed and face the day without him. And most nights, she would lay away, afraid that he was laying beside someone new.

 

He was half the reason she was going on this trip. Not because she wanted to forget about him, but because if she didn’t get out, didn’t do _something_ different, she would go insane waiting for him to come back to her. Spending the summer with friends, seeing new sights and places would do her a world of good no matter how badly she wanted to just lay back down and sleep until the Fall semester started.

 

Around the corner, Ino’s bright, cheery face popped up and Sakura groaned. “Okay, okay. I’m getting up.” Despite the pounding in her head, she pushed off the bed and trudged her way to her closet where two duffel bags sat open, half filled with various items. “Hey, how much are you packing?”

 

“Not much, actually. There won’t be any room in the car for all of us to bring a ton of luggage,” Ino said, dropping her own bag into the hallway. For someone who was always dressed in the latest fashion, and always had her hair styled, she wasn’t packing too much. It concerned Sakura to see such a small bag and she looked down at her own. “Besides,” Ino continued, stepping into the bedroom. “We’ll be roughing it most of the time. Just bring a few changes of clothes and we’ll do laundry when we can.”

 

Roughing it? This was the first time Sakura was hearing about this. She had signed on for fun and adventure, she did _not_ sign on for _roughing it_. With a sigh, Ino marched to the closet and scooped out several pairs of shorts and shirt and kicked the now empty second duffel bag to the side. “There, just get plenty of undies and you’re good to go.”

 

As if that was what she was truly worried about. As the blonde sauntered from the room, humming softly to herself, Sakura watched her leave with a dumbfounded look across her face. She grabbed the duffel bag and peered inside it, her stomach aching from something besides alcohol now. It was much too late to back out now. Ino would probably murder her for merely suggesting it. Great. She snatched all the underwear she could from her drawers and stuffed them down into the bag, pulling the zipper shut over her clothes.

 

She stood and watched her best friend bounce down the hallway, grabbing the things they would need for the road. In that moment, Sakura figured she had only two choices she could make; either she could lay around all summer and be miserable at home, or she can be miserable surrounded by friends in a car for two months. Either way, it wouldn’t make much of a difference to her.

 

* * *

 

 

An hour later, their friends slowly began to join them outside the apartment Ino and Sakura shared. Tenten was the first to arrive, clearly buzzed from too many cups of coffee. The two girls watched their friend hop from one foot to the other while her mouth moved in a blur as she talked excitedly about all the random places they could stop during their summer journey. By the time Sai and Shikamaru came up, Sakura was thankful.

 

“Hey, guys!” Tenten said excitedly, both of them giving her a raise of their eyebrow, clearly not in the mood for her chipper demeanour.

 

“So, there’s some bad news,” Shikamaru sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Hinata can’t come.”

 

Ino’s jaw dropped. “What?! Do we still get to use her car? She’s the only one of us who has a vehicle!” The volume of her voice raised with each word she spoke until Shikamaru was wincing, holding his hands out to calm her.

 

If she was going to be completely honest, Sakura was a little relieved to hear that their plans were ruined. Now, she could lounge by the pool, drink her sorrows away, and spend the next two months mentally preparing for her new life as a single woman. Sakura took a seat on the curb outside of their apartment building as Tenten suggested they pool their money and rent a car to which Sai reminded her that it would be thousands of dollars to rent one for two months.

 

“ _Relax_ ,” Shikamaru said, stepping between the three of them before an argument broke out. “I’ve got it covered. I know a guy with a van who owes me a favor. I called him last night and he said he’d drive us if we pay for gas and his food.”

 

“Great, Shikamaru. You hired us a bum,” Ino said as she crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. “Is he a serial killer as well?”

 

“It is way too early for you to be a bitch right now. It’s either this guy, or we don’t go.”

 

The tension stretched between them, thick and palpable and everyone turned to Ino, waiting for her reaction. Either she was going to explode and this whole idea would go belly up, or she would concede and let it go. When she sighed with a roll of her eyes, Sakura felt her shoulders slump. She was hoping for the explosive side of her best friend to rear its ugly head. Unfortunately, Ino was hell bent on this trip happening.

 

“Fine. But, if he ends up killing us all and burying our bodies in the desert, I’m going to make the after life pure hell for you.” She dropped her duffel bag on the sidewalk beside Sakura and blinked at the two guys in their group. “So, when does he get here?”

 

It turned out that Shikamaru’s friend didn’t give a shit about schedules and by the time the black van rolled around the corner, the sun was shining high in the sky and Sakura was furious. Luckily, Tenten had packed them all granola bars for breakfast so they wouldn’t starve but it was incredibly rude to make people wait two hours. Even from down the road, they could hear the music pounding from inside the vehicle and Sakura glared with her arms crossed over her chest as he pulled up to the curb. The black, tinted window rolled down halfway to reveal the top half of the guy’s face. His silver hair defied gravity, standing up and sticking out above his head. Sakura shared a glance with Ino who looked just as curious and pissed off at the guy as she was.

 

“You guys need a ride?” The man said, a mischievous twinkle glittering in his eyes. Shikamaru and Sai snatched up all of the bags and hauled them to the back doors of the van, leaving the girls to stand at the curb, warily watching the guy who never took his eyes off of them. Actually, he was focused solely on Sakura. She felt her face flush beneath his scrutiny and she shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

 

Beside her, Ino snickered and nudged her with an elbow before she and Tenten went to the back to join the boys. Sakura stared after them, unsure of what to do. She didn’t want to get into this strange man’s car and travel thousands of miles with him. What if he _was_ a serial killer, or a pervert? Crossing her arms over her chest, she cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes on him. “How old are you?” She asked.

 

“Old enough. You coming?” He raised an eyebrow as the van door slid open to reveal a bench seat along the back with a large, empty space in the middle. There was a pillow leaning against the other side and Sakura wrinkled her nose. God, she wasn’t actually about to climb into some random guy’s shaggin’ wagon, was she?

 

“Sakura, come on!” Ino said with one foot in the van and the other still on the sidewalk. All eyes turned to stare at her, waiting for her to make a decision.

 

Her head swirled with thoughts of Sasuke, of doubts about what she was about to do, about this strange man who was _still_ staring at her with what she could only guess was a smirk behind the tinted window that blocked most of his face. And as he winked at her, Sakura felt the urge to whine and pout. Instead, she dropped her hands to her side and followed Ino into the back of the van, choosing to sit on the bench seat next to Tenten. The door slid shut behind her, sealing the fate of her summer along with it.

 

In the rear view mirror, she caught sight of the mysterious man driving them across the country. His eyes lifted to hers, the corners wrinkled with mirth as he chuckled and put the car into gear, pulling away from the curb. Well, this was it. This was the first day of a summer to remember. She just prayed it would be one she _wanted_ to remember.


	2. Hold The Line

 

 

* * *

 

Kakashi glanced in the rear view mirror, catching a glimpse of pink hair piled on top of the girl’s head in a messy bun. It blocked the view of the line of cars behind them but he wasn’t complaining much. After the first few hours on this journey, he had seemed to figure most of the group out. Except her.

 

Shikamaru was easy to gauge. Being in a long distant relationship while young and surrounded by pretty girls was more than likely taking its toll on him. Through the brief conversation he had had with Shikamaru the night before, Kakashi could sense that his only purpose for going on this trip was to stop in Suna and get laid. The rest of the experience was out of boredom but then again, most things were to him.

 

The second easiest person to figure out was the brunette girl, whose name Kakashi couldn’t recall at the moment. She talked with such an excitement and lust for life that it was clear she was in this solely for the experience. That, Kakashi totally understood. It was half the reason he had agreed to drive them, but, also because he was feeling a bit antsy in Konoha, as if the walls of his apartment grew smaller and smaller every time he walked in the door. He needed to stretch his wings and see the world again before he got too old and too wrapped up in life.

 

As for the blonde chick and artsy guy, Kakashi could practically feel the sexual tension between them. Well, mostly from the girl. Sai seemed more curious about her than anything. When she would giggle at something stupid Shikamaru said to make him jealous, or flip her hair away from her shoulder and peer over the sketchbook in his lap, the kid would just watch her. It was as if she were some alien specimen and he was making notes about her otherworldly behaviors. Whether he knew the little games she was playing, or not, Kakashi couldn’t be too sure. But, it was fun to watch either way.

 

And then there was her. The girl who looked as if she were being dragged into the van by invisible chains, the girl who hadn’t stopped pouting since the moment Kakashi pulled up to the curb and the girl who hadn’t looked up from her phone in the past 6 hours. What was _her_ deal? The rest were easy to pick apart but, she was a mystery. One that Kakashi couldn’t help glancing back to in the rear view mirror. Currently, she was scowling down at the bright screen in her hand, her thumb flicking through an endless amount of pages. Every time he looked back, she was scrolling, frowning, or sighing.

 

Kakashi cleared his throat and shifted in the driver’s seat, pulling the little dog off of his lap so he could stretch his legs in the back. At the sight of Pakkun, the blonde and the brunette squealed in delight before scooping him up to shower him in pets and kisses. With a glance in the mirror, Kakashi could see the mystery girl lift her eyes to them and quickly look back down at her phone, unphased by it. So, she wasn’t a dog lover. In his mind, he made a mental check by the list of bad qualities he had already seen in her. He looked at Shikamaru sitting next to him, a map stretched across his lap but his eyes were closed and his head leaned against the window. “Hey,” Kakashi said, reaching over to lightly smack him awake.

 

“What?” Shikamaru grumbled, not bothering to lift his head or open an eye.

 

“What’s the deal with the sourpuss back there?”

 

This time, Shikamaru heaved a sigh as if moving even a fraction of an inch was a huge ordeal before glancing back to the girl sitting in the very back of the van. He turned back around with a simple shrug of his shoulder. “You mean, Sakura?” He kept his voice low but Kakashi didn’t think it would have mattered much. She clearly wasn’t listening to anything going on outside the world of her cell phone. “She got dumped not too long ago. Guess she’s still getting over it.”

 

“Ouch.” Now, he felt like an ass. He unchecked a few things he had marked in his mind. Maybe she wasn’t stuck up or bitchy. Dealing with heartache can make anyone feel miserable. “Was it serious?”

 

“Oh, yeah. They were engaged, the wedding was set for this September and he just broke it off out of the blue. But, he’s always been an asshole. Sakura was just too blinded by him to see that.” Shikamaru stretched his arms over his head and nodded his chin toward an exit coming up. “This is the last place to get gas for a while. You think we should stop?”

 

Kakashi looked between his hands on the steering wheel and checked the gas gauge. Little less than half a tank wouldn’t get them very far and he didn’t think any of them would be too happy to run out of gas in the middle of nowhere. He turned the blinker on and merged into the exit lane, checking his mirror to make sure the way was clear. There were no cars behind them but Kakashi kept his gaze in the reflection for just a moment longer than necessary staring at the bubblegum bun on top of her head.

* * *

  


The van lurched to the right unexpectedly, tossing Sakura around the back seat. She braced herself against the window and sent a scowl toward the pair of eyes catching sight of her in the rear view mirror. Though she couldn’t see his face, there was something in his stare that told her he was smirking at her. Deciding it was best to not let him see it get to her, she shook her hair from her face and glanced at the scenery around them.

 

“Why are we stopping?” She asked, sliding to the edge of the bench seat. On the floor beneath her, propped up by an enormous pillow, Tenten tilted her face up with a smile.

 

“Gotta get gas, I assume. I’m gonna go on a snack run. Want anything?”

 

By the time they pulled into a small gas station, everyone was sitting up and getting ready to step out and stretch their legs. Ino tossed her headphones into her purse and yawned. “I definitely have to pee,” she muttered as Tenten scooped up the small dog to take him for a walk.

 

It seemed everyone wanted to get out of the van except Sakura. She sat where she was, picking her phone back up as her friends filed out of the sliding door one by one. “You alright back there?” A voice from the driver’s seat asked, making her look up at him. He turned the ignition off and paused, waiting for her answer.

 

“Fine,” was all she offered and without another word, he got out and began pumping gas. From behind the black tinted window, Sakura watched him without the risk of being seen. He unscrewed the gas cap, which was situated right below the back window and for a second, she gasped as his eyes looked up at her. Surely he couldn’t see her through the dark tint. Just as he turned away, she could have swore she saw a glimpse of a smile curling the edge of his lip.

 

As far as serial killers went, he wasn’t bad looking. Sure, he had a gnarly scar down his left eye that had her curiosity stirring but it didn’t take away from his looks in the slightest. But, there was something about him that rubbed her the wrong way. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

 

The pump shut off loudly, startling Sakura. She slid away from the window and pulled her legs onto the seat as he finished up, busying herself with her cell phone. Though her eyes were focused on the screen, she paid close attention to the way he climbed back into the van. With a sniff, he slid the keys back into the ignition but didn’t turn it just yet. “Can I ask you something?” His voice made her body react before she could stop it and her stomach clenched tight.

 

She looked up from her phone and met his eyes in the mirror. “I have a feeling you’re going to ask me anyway.”

 

He twisted in the seat and leaned over to face her. The sight of his eyes staring into hers, piercing through her sarcastic, tough exterior like a knife had her sucking in a tiny breath of air. “If you’re going to be glued to your phone the entire time, why did you even come on this trip?”

 

Sakura felt her breath leave her lungs and she gaped at him in disbelief. “Excuse me?”

 

“I’m just saying, you’re the only one that looks absolutely miserable. Surely, you could put the phone down and look outside for a few minutes. I mean, look,” he waved his hand to the windshield and Sakura’s eyes darted to where he pointed to. There wasn’t anything special. It was a gas station parking lot and beyond that was the highway and a pasture of grazing cows.  “The sun is setting on a gorgeous day and I doubt you’ve even noticed anything beyond that screen.”

 

He was right, but she hated him for it. So many responses, mostly with colorful language, sprang up through her mind. All she wanted to do was let him have it in that moment. Instead, she pocketed her phone and pulled the door open as hard as she could, hoping it would slide off the tracks. And though it didn’t, she stepped out and met her friends in the parking lot. Ino was carrying an enormous cup in her hands which would only make her have to take another piss in half an hour. She raised an eyebrow at the sight of Sakura. “You okay?” She asked, hanging back while the others climbed back into the car.

 

With a sigh, Sakura nodded and told her friend she just had to pee and to wait for her. Which was the truth. She did have to pee, but she honestly wouldn’t have cared if they left her. One quick call to Hinata, and she’d be back in her bed for the night. But, the thought of that immediately made his words spring back into her mind. Why was she here if she was just going to be miserable? What did he even know anyway? If she wanted to be miserable, it was her god given right.

 

Sakura quickly relieved herself in the surprisingly clean bathroom of the gas station and bought herself a pack of chocolates before heading back outside. At the sight of the van, she stopped in her tracks, her flip flops scraping over the oily pavement. The front seat was empty and Shikamaru was crawling into the back to take her place on the bench. She hurried up to the side and shook her head, grabbing him by the shirt sleeve. “What are you doing? I can’t sit up front with him,” she said, eyes cutting to the driver who ignored them.

 

With a scowl, Shikamaru pulled his sleeve free from her grip and gave her an uncaring shrug. “I’m tired. You can be the navigator for a while,” was all he offered before he collapsed in the bench and folded his arms behind his head. Both Ino and Tenten stared up at Sakura expectedly, waiting for her to just get in.

 

This wasn’t happening. The last place she wanted to be _ever_ was by his side and now, she would have to sit beside him for the next several hours. Why did she even agree to this trip? A single day hadn’t passed and she was already done with it. Defeated, she slammed the side door shut and climbed into the front seat, angrily stretching the belt across her lap. From beside her, he gave a slight chuckle, cranked the ignition and pulled away from the gas station.

 

In the back, conversations picked back up, along with Shikamaru’s light snoring and Sakura folded her arms across her chest. Not even five minutes after being forced into the front seat, her phone vibrated and her heart leapt into her chest. She pulled it out of her front pocket and caught a glimpse of a message before the device was snatched from her hand. Her jaw dropped to her chest as she watched the insufferable man next to her shove her phone between his legs.

 

“What the fuck?”

 

“I’ll give it back if you can at least _pretend_ to have a good time. Look out at the world, take in the sights.” He flashed a grin to her but she definitely was not laughing. Did he seriously think she wouldn’t stick her hand between his legs to get her phone back?

 

Pursuing her lips, she leapt across the cup holders between them but was stopped just before she could reach his legs. His fingers circled her wrist and easily held her back. Annoyingly, his grin never faded from his lips. “Are you seriously willing to kill us all for your phone?”

 

“You’re the one who started this. If anyone is killed, it’ll be because of you.” Sakura tried to wrench her arm free but he held fast, keeping his eyes focused on the road ahead of them. She shook the hair from her face and glanced to the back for some back up from her friends. Surely, they would tell this psycho to give her phone back. Hopefully they would kick his ass out altogether. But, as Sakura turned to ask for help from the two other girls who always had her back, she was met with raised eyebrows and smirks. Oh god, they thought she was flirting with him!

 

Ugh!

 

Sakura wrenched her arm out of his grasp and sat back in her seat, turning her face to the window so she could glare out at the scenery. The sun was slipping closer to the horizon, casting the sky in vibrant hues of coral to violet. Dammit, he was right. It _was_ rather beautiful and she was missing it because she was terrified of missing a text from her ex-fiancé. Which reminded her, she had gotten a text and hadn’t been able to see who it was even from before it was so cruelly taken from her.

 

She turned back to the man in the driver’s seat, her arms still firmly crossed over her chest. It annoyed her to no end to see him smile sweetly to her. “Can I at least see who the message was from?”

 

He reached between his legs with his free hand and pressed the center button on the device. He was careful to keep it as far away from her as possible. “Hinata says, ‘will do! Hope you guys have fun while I’m stuck in summer classes. Btw, who is the hot guy driving the van?’”

 

She rolled her eyes at his obvious yet unfunny attempt at making a joke. And though she was relieved it was only Hinata texting her, she was a little disappointed it hasn’t been Sasuke. Of course, he hadn’t tried to communicate with her since he had ended things but, she knew he would come to his senses eventually. She just hoped she wasn’t five hundred miles away on this damn trip when he did.

 

From beside her, she spied him drop her phone back between his legs. “I’m Kakashi, by the way. In case you wanted to let your friend know.”

 

“Haha,” Sakura said sarcastically but couldn’t help letting herself smile just a bit. After a moment, he waved his hand in the air as if motioning for her to keep going.

 

“And, you are?”

 

“Sakura.”

 

“Well, nice to meet you Sakura. I hope you take the time without your phone glued to your face to enjoy yourself.” He smiled over to her, his eyes meeting hers for a moment before glancing down to her lips and lower before he quickly turned back to the road. “But, no more attempts to get between my legs. I have a girlfriend who wouldn’t appreciate that very much.”

 

“Gross. Just let me know when I can have my phone back. And try not to get your ball sweat on it, please.” She folded her arms back across her chest and turned to face away from him. The sound of his laughter was irritatingly infectious and despite how badly she tried to keep her mouth down turned into a frown, she couldn’t help the annoying smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

* * *

 


	3. Sweet Emotion

* * *

 

AN- A huge thanks to [Nerazenn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerazenn/pseuds/nerazenn) for picking the new title! Thank you so much! <3

 

* * *

 

 

 

  


Sakura’s legs ached as she stepped out of the van, nearly stumbling from the never ending tingling sensation in her left foot. Why had she sat on it for so long? She leaned against the door to hold herself up and tried to shake the weird pins and needles out of it. From beside her, Tenten stretched her arms over her head and yawned.

 

“This place looks a little unsavory,” she said, nodding to the rather seeding looking motel they had decided to stop at for the night. It looked abandoned, but the flickering neon VACANCY sign and the light on in the lobby proved otherwise. And with Shikamaru refusing to ride another mile tonight, this was the first place they decided on.

“Okay,” Ino said, with a clap of her hands. “Give me the money, and I’ll buy us two rooms. Boys in one, girls in the other.”

 

Everyone dug through their wallets and chipped in enough to pay for two rooms for the night and not wanting to be left behind with the boys, Tenten followed the blonde toward the front door of the motel. Sakura turned toward the front of the van, leaned against the warm hood, and held her hand out toward Kakashi. He lifted an eyebrow at her as he slung his backpack over his shoulder and scooped his little pug up under his arm.

 

“Phone,” she demanded, wiggling the fingers of her outstretched palm.

 

Expecting him to give her some philosophical bullshit response about enjoying the moment while being surrounded by friends, Sakura was surprised when he reached over and all but slapped her device back into her hand. He shut the driver’s side door and dropped the pug onto a patch of grass so it could do its business, leaving the girl to stare after him in a bit of confusion. Was he upset that she wanted her phone back? It was _her_ phone after all. And she had did what he asked, she had spent the last three hours chatting with her friends, making plans to see this or that along their way. So, why was he so suddenly different, and why did she suddenly _care_?

 

Sakura rolled her eyes at his back and spun toward the motel lobby, ignoring her bags for the time being and hurrying to catch up with the other two girls. Inside, the AC was on full blast and goosebumps instantly covered her arms and legs. She shivered and stepped up to the counter, leaning an elbow across it as she blinked at the empty chair on the other side. “Is anyone even here?”

 

“Yeah, he went to get change,” Tenten whispered, “and the keys to the rooms.”

 

“Why are you whispering?” Ino asked, also keeping her voice as low as possible.

 

“I don’t know. I just don’t want the guy to hear me, I guess. He looks kind of mean.”

 

Sakura opened her mouth to whisper back that he’s probably listening to them right now, when an enormous man, both tall and round, came shuffling back into the tiny space behind the counter from a door. He had two silver keys dangling from his massive fist and a few bills crushed in the other one. All three girls jumped in sync as his hands slammed down on the countertop, his eyes settling on each one of them for several seconds.

 

“There’s rules here.” He muttered around a bottom lip full of chewing tobacco. Brown saliva seeped out of the wrinkled cracks of his lips, running down his chin and Sakura felt her stomach turn. “First o’all...no loud music. No partyin’. No screamin’ around the pool. If I get a complaint call in the mid’le of the night, you’re out.”

 

“Yes, sir.” The three of them said in unison, Sakura reaching for the keys while Ino took the cash. As soon as they were sure he didn’t have anymore rules for their stay, they spun on their heel and all but ran back out into the parking lot. By the time they reached the van, they were giggling. Ino gave the others a brief review of the rules and how important it was that they followed them while Sakura walked to the back to retrieve her bag.

 

Before she could open the back doors, a familiar black duffel bag dropped to her feet and she jumped back a step. Kakashi smiled down at her as he leaned a shoulder against the glass of the window. “Thanks,” she said, stooping to grab the strap. As her hair fell around her face, she took the brief moment that her eyes were hidden to glance over at him. His faded jeans, ripped on both knees, were tight enough around his thighs that she could see the outline of his muscles but above that, his black tank top with bleach spots hung too far around his hips for her to see any _other_ outline. Not that she even _wanted_ to see it.

 

Sakura stood to her full height and shouldered the bag, forcing a smile through the heat flushing across her face. With the little dog sniffing the pavement around their feet, she was suddenly aware of how close he was to her. Far closer than he had been in the van and now, she could smell a faint whiff of coconut and something she couldn’t quite put her finger on, an almost earthy smell. The coconut had to be from whatever product he had in his shoulder length hair that had Sakura wanting to brush her fingers through.

 

Oh, god! What was she even saying?

 

Realizing that she had inched even closer to the guy, her eyes went wide and the dark tint to her cheeks flared back to life. She had to get away from him before she did something extremely stupid. Without another word, she turned on her heel and hurried to catch up with Ino and Tenten who were leading the way to the two rented rooms. And though she tried with all of her might, Sakura couldn’t resist turning to glance over her shoulder at the insufferable man. He still stood by the back of the van, shoulder leaning against the window with his little pug at the end of the leash, and a smirk across his face.

 

* * *

 

 

The rooms weren’t as bad as they had been expecting. After checking beneath the mattresses for dead bodies, Tenten had breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed onto one where she fell right to sleep. It wasn’t long before the exhaustion from riding in a strange van all day caught up to the other two girls and they fell asleep in the bed they shared.

 

Sakura was the first to wake up, like usual. Well, when she wasn’t battling a massive hangover. She decided to go for a morning swim in the pool they had spied by the front lobby, hoping it was like their rooms: not as bad as she was expecting. There were only a few dead bugs floating across the surface and she was happy that the water was clear blue and cool in the early morning light. Whether the man from the front desk could see her or not, she wasn’t sure.

 

She had tried to walk around the edge of the pool to check if she could see into the front windows but it was mostly obscured by a row of untrimmed hedges planted around a rusty iron fence that ran around the outdoor area. The deck chairs were a little worse for wear, needing to be replaced years ago but obviously, they weren’t a top priority. Sakura had found the only one with the plastic netting still attached and sat down to dry her hair and body off.

 

A noise in the parking lot caught her attention and she craned her neck to see over the hedges blocking her sight. Standing at the van was the same guy she was forcing herself not to think about. Kakashi had the hood popped open and he was checking the oil, or what Sakura assumed was the oil. She was having a hard time concentrating on whatever he was doing, too distracted by his bare back. Why was he shirtless? Did he know she was swimming and wanted to...to what? Seduce her?

 

Sakura rolled her eyes at herself. This wasn’t some bodice ripper romance novel. He was just a normal guy with a girlfriend and clearly not interested in her at all. He could see how uptight she was and teased her the way Naruto and Sasuke used to. But...Naruto _had_ liked her at some point and she _had_ ended up dating Sasuke for over a year.

 

God, _no!_ This kind of thinking was exactly why she was a miserable wreck as it were. Every tiny little detail, she had to over analyze and obsess over. It was the reason that after an entire month of no contact with Sasuke, she was still feeling the exact same way she had the day he broke things off with her. Taking a deep breath, she stood and slipped her shorts back on, neglecting the tank top this time.

 

She folded her towel and grabbed the shirt, draping it over her arm before slipping her feet into her flip flops and made her way back toward the parking lot. She hadn’t intended to even talk to him but her feet refused to go toward the motel room and instead, she ended up standing beside the passenger side mirror, watching him. His head was bent over the engine, grease staining his forearms that Sakura had trouble looking away from.

 

“Morning,” he said, not looking up from the car.

 

“Hey,” Sakura said, shielding her eyes from the morning sun with a hand across her forehead. The sunlight glistened off the thin sheen of sweat across his shoulders and Sakura bit her lip. Where was he hiding this body yesterday? She had noticed the muscles in his arms while he was driving but had no idea _this_ was what the rest of him looked like. Her mouth watered like a starving dog and she quickly shook all naughty thoughts out of her mind. “What are you doing?”

 

“Making sure we won’t break down. What are _you_ doing?” He lifted his head up to grin at her, his eyes sweeping across her bikini top. She crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes, trying hard not to smile.

 

“I was swimming.”

 

“I can see that. You’re all _wet_.”

 

Sakura wanted to smack him, wanted to tell him off for being so crude, but she didn’t. Her body wouldn’t let her. It was too desperate for the thrill of his flirting and the smirk on his face made her stomach flutter wildly. She pursed her lips to keep herself from grinning and pushed her damp hair away from her face. It was better to change the subject, and quick before her dirty mind started to kick in. “This thing better not break down.”

 

Kakashi scoffed and lowered the hood with a bang, giving her a look that told her she was crazy. “This _thing_ is a beast. It’s been with me through a lot and I don’t see it stopping anytime soon.” He wiped the grease from his hands with a rag and looked down at her with a wink. Sakura felt heat touch the tops of her ears and cheeks as he leaned closer to her. “So, don’t worry your pretty, little head about it.”

 

 _Pretty_?

 

Her pulse picked up speed and she held her towel and shirt tighter to her chest, definitely blushing from head to toe by now. Was he flirting with her or teasing her again? Was there a difference? God, why did she care? Sakura opened her mouth to tell him to quit being weird, but never got the chance.

 

From behind her, the a door to one of the rooms opened and Ino called her name. She whirled around to face the blonde who was staring at the two of them with an eyebrow raised suggestively up on her forehead. Great. Sakura sighed, dreading the conversation that would surely be waiting on her. “I’ll see you later.”

 

She took a few steps toward the room, unable to shake the feeling of his gaze on her backside. Before she could get halfway through the parking lot, he called her name. “You going to be my navigator again today?” He said with a lopsided grin that had the butterflies in her stomach going wild.

 

She didn’t know what to say and knew she looked like a fool standing in the middle of the parking lot, staring at him with her mouth hanging partially open. His eyebrows raised as he waited her answer and she nodded, unable to do much else. “Sure,” she said quietly, ducking her head to make her way back to where her best friend stood waiting for her.

 

As she passed into the motel room, Ino shut the door behind them and crossed her arms over her chest. “What was _that_ all about?”

 

Sakura didn’t respond. She didn’t know how because she honestly had no idea what the answer was. If he _was_ flirting, then he should be ashamed of himself. She doubted that his girlfriend would be too happy to know he was flirting with random girls while he was away. And if he wasn’t flirting?

 

She ignored Tenten still snoring away in the bed and hurried into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She looked at her reflection in the dingy mirror above the sink and bit her bottom lip. The tops of her cheeks and ears were pink and she doubted that it was from the small amount of sun she had gotten that morning. If he wasn’t flirting, then why was she still blushing this much?


End file.
